


Thinking Out Loud

by youcanbeking



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Dancing, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Slow Dancing, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, mild homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 17:13:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3075179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youcanbeking/pseuds/youcanbeking
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You learn a lot about your boyfriend when you attend a wedding with him. Thankfully, Nagisa learns only good things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thinking Out Loud

**Author's Note:**

  * For [didsw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/didsw/gifts).



It wasn’t really a surprise to anyone when Rei asked Nagisa to be his boyfriend once they became third years. In fact, the transition from friends to boyfriends was natural for them, and an adjustment that they were both excited and ready to make. So they became a couple; a very happy couple, at that. Nagisa knew he liked Rei—he _loved_ Rei, although they had only recently admitted that to each other. However, before he even realized it, they had been dating for _two years,_ and he didn’t see that ending any time soon.  

 

There were a lot of small signs that Nagisa kinda _sorta_ picked up on. Like, Nagisa’s favorite flannel just happened to belong to Rei, and Rei’s favorite beanie just happened to belong to Nagisa. Or the fact that, when Rei’s glasses broke, Nagisa knew him enough to remember the _exact_ shade of red he liked his frames in, so he could easily get him some new ones. Or there was that time when Nagisa bought Rei a sweater for his birthday, only to find that he had picked out the exact same one for himself a week earlier.

 

Yes, there were plenty of signs that signaled Nagisa was in pretty deep with Rei; that he knew him better than anyone else. If his own personal adoration for the boy weren’t enough, the fact that their feelings for each other hadn’t weakened throughout their first year at university (which they received many warnings about from friends and family) was a pretty clear sign that things were getting serious.

 

For some reason, though, Rei asking Nagisa to attend his aunt’s wedding with him in the spring of their freshman year brought Nagisa back to the old days. That is, the days of being flustered and nervous around each other, the days when their natural skin tone was a blushing red. Rei casually tossed the question at him on a relaxing night in during spring break, when Nagisa was practically falling asleep on his lap.

 

“W-what?” The blond sleepily craned his neck up to meet Rei’s eyes, wondering if he just heard what he thought he did. Nagisa felt like he had when Rei asked him out on their first date, complete with a bright pink blush and a hummingbird heart.

 

“My aunt’s wedding,” Rei explained, unfazed. “It’s in two weeks. Would you like to accompany me?” He had a sweet charm in his voice, and Nagisa, now fully awake, gasped in excitement.

 

“Rei-chan, I _love_ weddings!” He squealed, hoisting himself up so he was sitting in Rei’s lap. He paid little attention to how he bounced up and down on his knees, much to Rei’s discomfort.

 

“Nagisa, _ow,_ that’s my—”

 

“Oh, Rei-chan! This is so exciting!” Nagisa clasped his hands together and wiggled in Rei’s lap. “You never told me your aunt was engaged!” Then, he realized something else and sucked in a sharp breath, bringing both hands to cover his mouth.

 

“This is….like a _date!”_

“We’ve been on a lot of dates, Nagisa.” Rei chuckled, prying the blond’s hands from over his mouth and holding them in his own. “Why are you blushing?”

 

“This is just…” Nagisa wondered the same thing himself. Sure, he and Rei had been on many dates, and sure, they’ve attended many events together. But this was a _wedding,_ and Rei’s whole extended family would be there, and Rei knew that, and Rei still invited Nagisa to it, which meant he wanted Nagisa to _meet_ them, which meant Rei was serious about Nagisa, maybe just as serious as Nagisa was about Rei, and…

 

He stopped his chaotic train of thought, his heart thumping wildly. “I’d love to go with you!”

 

“Wonderful,” Rei grinned and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Now, could you please get off of me?” He tried to pry the smaller boy off of his lap, which only made Nagisa loop his arms around his neck and hold on tighter.

 

“Nooo, Rei-chan, you’re comfortable! So comfortable…” Nagisa let his words trail off as he pretended to fall asleep, complete with fake snoring and everything.

 

“Very funny, Nagisa- _kun_.”

 

Nagisa shot up. “No _–kun,_ Rei-chan! We agreed ‘Nagisa’ was just fine,” he pouted, flushing when he realized he fell right into Rei’s trap.

 

Rei laughed and, in a more intimate gesture than he would normally display, pressed a gentle kiss to Nagisa’s forehead. “Come on,” he said, his voice dripping with sleepiness. “Let’s get some sleep.” He shut the television off and stood up, causing Nagisa to roll off him. The blond sighed, not nearly as tired as he had been ten minutes ago; no, not with thoughts of an upcoming wedding whizzing around in his head. He begrudgingly followed Rei upstairs, though, not wanting to sit on an empty couch without him.

 

.x.

 

“You know, Rei-chan, I wish you invited me to this shindig _earlier.”_ Nagisa said loudly one afternoon. His hair was a mess, and he stepped over the minefield of clothes he had thrown onto the floor and into the bathroom, where Rei was taking a shower.

 

“What?”

 

“I have nothing to wear!”

 

“Nagisa, I invited you two weeks ago. That’s _ample_ time. It’s not my fault you’re the biggest procrastinator I know.” The sound of the water hitting the shower floor drowned out his voice a bit, but not enough that Nagisa couldn’t catch the pretention in his words. He scoffed to himself; knowing Rei, he probably already had a cute little tux to wear. Screw him.

 

As if on queue, Rei said, “You should’ve gone with me last weekend when I got my tux.”

 

 _“Oh, last weekend when_ I _got_ my _tux that I’ll look_ SO _suave in.”_ Nagisa mimicked, but with no real mean intention behind it. In fact, as he scratched his head and looked around at the pile of clothes surrounding him—none of which were wedding-appropriate—he was mad at himself more than anyone.

 

“Very mature, Nagisa.”

 

“Yeah, well, I hope you get shampoo in your eyes.” Nagisa said quietly, not really meaning for Rei to hear it. He knew he was being a brat, but he couldn’t help it, and Rei knew how he got when he was stressed out. When he was met only with the sound of water hitting the shower floor and no response from Rei, Nagisa groaned and plopped down on the bed.

 

“I’m going out!” He shouted, deciding that, considering the wedding was _tomorrow,_ he should probably get his act together. Especially if he wanted to make a good impression on Rei’s family.

 

.x.

 

Punctuality had always been a source of conflict for them.

 

“Nagisa, if you’re not ready in five minutes, I swear I’ll go alone,” said Rei, who had been ready for a whole thirty minutes and was now straightening his tie in the mirror, at a loss for what to do while Nagisa scurried around his room trying to pull himself together.  

 

“I _know,_ I know—just—please—button this for me really quick.” Nagisa was borderline out of breath as he threw a white button down on and hastily began to fix his pants, leaving the shirt unbuttoned for Rei to help him with. The taller boy sighed, and his slim fingers slowly did each button until he reached the top.

 

“You need help with your tie as well, don’t you?”

 

Nagisa didn’t respond with any words, but rather a bashful smile that answered the question just as well. Rei secretly didn’t mind, though. He slipped a maroon tie around his collar, and Nagisa shivered as his slender fingers brushed against his neck. Rei made an intimate show of tightening the tie, doing it slowly and precisely, and looking more into Nagisa’s eyes than at his work. When the knot of his tie was secure at the collar, he let go slowly, his fingers lingering on the fabric. Nagisa felt oddly flustered, and his ears were buzzing.  

 

“How do I look?” He asked softly, running his fingers through his hair, which was, thankfully, rather tame today. His curls were generally quite unpredictable, but today they looked soft, and they framed his face nicely. Or, at least, that’s what he thought as he gazed at himself at the mirror. He only hoped Rei thought the same.

 

Rei stepped back and looked him up and down, face reddening as he took in Nagisa’s entire appearance. There was no denying that he looked pretty sharp himself, and he was definitely built to wear a tux. Nagisa’s stomach felt warm, and he felt a large sense of pride that he got to call this attractive specimen his _boyfriend._

 

“Y-you look…very cute,” he said finally, and Nagisa noted the way he bit his lip furiously after the compliment. He giggled and thanked Rei, who became even more flustered and demanded they leave for the wedding immediately or else they would be late.

 

.x.

 

Nagisa had met Rei’s immediate family many times. He had enough inside jokes with his older brother to keep a friendly conversation going for some time, was well regarded by both of his parents, and had participated in enough Ryugazaki family game nights to feel like he was a part of it himself. That’s why they sat with them during the wedding ceremony, and Nagisa’s nerves weren’t as biting as they were once it was time for the reception. He was in his comfort zone; he was with people he knew.

 

Was he in store to meet a crazy, homophobic uncle who would ruin their night? Did Rei’s extended family even _know_ he was gay? Did they know about Nagisa? Rei hadn’t told him much about his relatives, so there was a lot left to the imagination.

 

Rei also hadn’t told Nagisa he was such a softie, and Nagisa found that out for himself during the wedding vows when he heard a wet sniffle from beside him.

 

“Rei, are you crying?” Nagisa whispered, astonishment making him forget to add his usual honorific.

 

Rei was squinting at the altar, his face scrunched together in what could only be an attempt to keep the waterworks in. “No,” he hissed, but his voice broke a little.

 

Nagisa was quiet for a minute. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He smiled when Rei nodded, looking away to give his boyfriend some privacy in case the tears decided to spill. The smile stayed on his face as he brought his gaze back to the altar, and he couldn’t put a stop to his mind as it pictured _himself_ up there, with Rei, exchanging eternal vows binding them together for life. His heart jackhammered in his chest and he instinctually leaned into the taller boy next to him, giving him a soft bump with his shoulder. _This might be us one day._ And that thought made the ceremony a lot more meaningful.

 

Their promises to each other were sealed with a kiss, and everyone welcomed the new married couple with a round of applause. Rei swiftly wiped his cheek, but he missed a spot, and Nagisa could make out a faint trail of wetness that had stained him as it traveled down his face earlier. He decided he wouldn’t say anything about it, though, because it was too adorable to embarrass him about.

 

“The reception’s under that big white tent over there,” Rei said, not daring to acknowledge how beautiful and moving he clearly found the ceremony. Nagisa looked at it in awe, observing the large crowd of people already making their way over there.

 

“Rei, why don’t you take Nagisa over there now?” His mom suggested, gesturing to the reception tent. Nagisa gulped, suddenly remembering how nervous he was. He must have looked pale as Rei began to make his way over, because his older brother, Ryo, was quick say something before Nagisa could follow.

 

“Hey Hazuki, don’t be nervous or anything. Rei talks about you, like, all the time. I bet half our relatives think they’re already met you before.”

 

Nagisa’s heartbeat went into overdrive, and he felt his lips stretch into a bubbly smile. He was biting to ask ‘what exactly does he say about me, Ryo?’ but he didn’t want to sound vain, and Rei was halfway to the tent already, so Nagisa just thanked him heartily before skipping to catch up with him, his tie flapping over his shoulder.

 

“Are you excited to dance with me, Rei-chan?” Nagisa asked once he finally caught up, feeling full of adrenaline and newfound excitement thanks to Ryo’s confidence-booster.

 

“Very,” Rei said sarcastically.

 

“We’re gonna dance all night.”

 

Rei made a noise of amusement and threw his arm around Nagisa’s shoulder instead of responding. Nagisa didn’t fight it, although he did try to fight the blush that made its way onto his face as they entered the tent and gazes began to linger on them. Rei was either oblivious or just didn’t care, and his arm eventually left his shoulders and his hand found its way to Nagisa’s lower back, guiding him to a table full of chatting adults. They all recognized Rei immediately, and greetings ensued. Nagisa stayed behind Rei as he said hello to who he assumed were his aunts and uncles, smiling at their warm reunion.

 

Once Rei said hello to everyone, he stepped back so Nagisa was in view, placing a hand on his shoulder. “This is my boyfriend, Nagisa.” Nagisa heard confidence in his voice, and he gave the family his best smile, hoping it didn’t look forced or awkward considering his face felt like it was frozen. Then he remembered he was supposed to be respectful and quickly ducked his head, hoping it looked convincingly swift and natural.

 

“So this is _the_ Nagisa?” A voice said bashfully. Nagisa slowly raised his head and saw a woman whose features resembled Rei’s mother beaming at him.

 

“This is him.” Rei said, and warmth surged through Nagisa as he heard pride saturating his voice. Like Nagisa was a treasure to him.  

 

“How long have you been dating?” Another woman asked, and the kind glint in her eyes was comforting. She was looking directly at Nagisa, though, which meant he would have to handle this question. Rei’s hand stayed on his back, protecting him from the nerves that would otherwise overtake his composure.  

 

“Two years,” he answered enthusiastically, glancing up at Rei.

 

“You both look so happy together.”

 

Rei beamed. “Thank you, Obasan. We are.”

 

Eventually they broke off from the group and walked around the tent, which was somehow even larger than it looked. There was some music playing, but it wasn’t really music you could dance to—not yet, at least. It was more…music to hold conversations to. And that’s what everyone was doing; chatting and catching up with each other. Nagisa was content with walking around with Rei, though, and staring at the cute little cupcakes displayed on the desert table in back. They were interrupted by a grown man who Nagisa recognized from the table earlier.

 

Rei turned around. “Ojisan, hello.”

 

“So, I was just curious, do you two…live together?” He was holding a drink in one hand and pointing the other at Rei. Nagisa swallowed, not liking the borderline accusation in his voice.

 

Rei took it in stride. “Ah, well, no. We go to different universities.”

 

“I, ah, I didn’t know you…liked boys, Rei,” he said it as though it were a lighthearted joke, but the underlying bitterness of the comment made the air around them thick and awkward. Nagisa fixed his gaze to the floor and focused on his leather dress shoes, heart racing with anticipation for Rei’s response.

 

Rei let out a burst of humorless laughter, so sharp that it made Nagisa look up. It was over quickly, though, and his features fell into a stern scowl. “I didn’t know myself for a long time. But I very much _do_.” He threw his arm around Nagisa again, almost making a show of it, and pulled him closer. He didn’t fight the action and fell into Rei’s side; if he was unashamed, Nagisa certainly wouldn’t be either.  

 

The man looked vaguely uncomfortable, but mostly he was unmistakably pissed off. He grimaced at the display of affection and sipped his wine tautly. “Good luck with that,” was all he said before strolling off and leaving the two alone. Nagisa’s heart was racing after the encounter, and he was trembling ever so slightly. Looks like his fear of a homophobic uncle had become a reality.

 

“Sorry about him,” Rei said, a little embarrassed.

 

“No, it’s fine,” Nagisa answered quickly, hoping it was convincing enough. He and Rei had experienced their fair share of homophobia in their two years of dating, but having one of his relatives be so cold and unaccepting was hard to shake off. Maybe Rei felt the same way too, because he didn’t sound as excited when he invited Nagisa to go back and sit at their table.

 

.x.

 

A party was all it took to get Nagisa back into high spirits. The newly married couple made a grand entrance and the reception finally begun, party music blaring from the speakers. Rei was still stiff as a board, though, and Nagisa was determined to get him dancing before the end of the night.

 

“Rei-chan, are you gonna dance or what?” Nagisa yelled over ‘Crazy In Love’. He didn’t even need a drink to loosen up (he was underage, anyways), and moved jauntily to the music. Rei blushed furiously at the sight, shoving his glasses as far up his nose as they would go.

 

“Nagisa, my _parents_ are here.”

 

“So? I’m just dancing! And it’s dark as hell under this tent.”

 

“I can’t dance,” he said plainly, as though that would get Nagisa off his case. How naïve he was. The blond simply moved in closer, grabbing Rei’s hands and pulling him farther onto the dancefloor. Rei barely tried to resist it, knowing there was no way he would get out of this.

 

“Ah, Rei-chan, I love this song! Just dance with me, come on!” Nagisa squealed as ‘Call Me Maybe’ started playing at full volume. Rei, not a big fan of the song, rolled his eyes.

 

“ _I threw a wish in a well, don’t ask me I’ll never tell—_ Rei-chan, _dance!”_ Nagisa was laughing now, singing at full volume and throwing his arms around Rei’s shoulders. He swung back and forth, and his eagerness eventually, surprisingly, made Rei give in. He let go of his pride and danced with Nagisa, loosening his grip from around his neck so he could clasp his hands. Given, the dance was rather dorky, and they were essentially just bouncing around on the dancefloor, but it was sweet, and it made Nagisa’s heart flutter.

 

When the song ended, Nagisa leaned against Rei in a panting mess. There was a thin sheet of sweat covering both of their foreheads, but both were in good spirits as they caught their breath, having long forgotten about their encounter with Rei’s uptight uncle. They were heading back to the table when they were interrupted by two little girls, neither over the age of seven, prancing up to Rei as the next song started playing.

 

“Onii-san, Onii-san!!!” They called excitedly, attaching themselves to Rei’s leg. “Dance with us, Uncle Rei!”

 

Rei smiled, leaning down to embrace them.

 

“Aww, who might these adorable little girls be, Rei?” Nagisa cooed, bending down on one knee to admire them as they hugged Rei.

 

“These are my little cousins, Aki and Asa. Aki, Asa, this is Nagisa,” Rei said, looking at Nagisa through tangles of their long, straight hair. He eventually let go and stood up, much to their dismay. They whined, tugging on his dress pants.

 

“Onii-san, you need to dance with us! And Nagisa, too!” One of the girls said, pointing directly at him.

 

“We can’t let them down, Rei,” Nagisa said, his heart warming at the sight of his boyfriend with two little girls who admired him so much.

 

“One dance,” Rei decided. “But then I’m gonna go sit down with Nagisa, okay girls?” He bargained as ‘Classic’ blared in the background.

 

.x.

 

Rei proved to be a pushover when it came to kids, Nagisa noted (noted _bitterly,_ considering he could be rather stubborn with Nagisa when he wanted to be), and Aki and Asa got three whole dances out of him. Nagisa didn’t mind at all, though, because he enjoyed dancing with the kids, picking them up and swinging them around and being plain adorable. It made him feel all fuzzy inside, and a part of him was sad when Rei announced he could barely feel his legs anymore and he needed to sit down or else he’ll pass out. Another part of Nagisa was in the exact same boat, though, so they went back to the table and downed five glasses of water, still catching their breath.

 

“You never told me you were so good with kids, Rei-chan,” Nagisa beamed.

 

Rei flushed. “What, would you have thought I was bad with them otherwise?”

 

“No,” he giggled, “but they just seemed to like you a lot, and it was really cute.”

 

“Well, I _am_ the only older cousin that pays any attention to them,” Rei said, probably trying to make the whole thing sound _less_ cute with an explanation, even though it did the complete opposite. Nagisa just smiled, deciding not to press it any further.

 

“What time is it, anyways?”

 

Rei checked his phone. “10:50. Ten more minutes.”

 

Nagisa gasped. “We need one more dance!”

 

Rei groaned. “Nagisa, I can’t even feel—”

 

“Please, Rei-chan? A slow song? They always play slow songs at the end of weddings.”

 

“Fine. One more slow song,” Rei said, hoisting himself up out of the chair.

 

The DJ thanked everyone for coming and announced they would play one more song to end the night. Nagisa’s heart practically melted when ‘Thinking Out Loud’ by Ed Sheeran started playing, because he’d heard that song on the radio thousands of times and couldn’t get enough of it.

 

“I love this song…” he whispered as Rei grabbed his hand and led him to the dancefloor. He wrapped his arms around Nagisa’s waist, and Nagisa secured his arms around Rei’s neck. They rocked back and forth in silence for a few moments, enjoying the tune of the song. Nagisa’s insides were bubbling with happiness, and he eventually spoke.  

 

“I’ve had a lot of fun with you tonight, Rei-chan.”

 

“Me too,” Rei said sincerely, violet eyes staring into Nagisa’s.

 

“Thank you for inviting me.”

 

Rei kissed his forehead. “Thank you for coming. My family adores you, you know.”

 

Nagisa beamed, but his smile dropped a little when he remembered their encounter earlier. “Not your uncle.”

 

Rei rolled his eyes. “Who the hell cares about him? Everyone _else_ loves you. Majority rules.”

 

“Can’t argue with that,” Nagisa said, smirking. They had gotten much closer since the song started, he noticed, and their chests were practically touching. The song was almost over, Nagisa was overheating, and he felt sweaty, but he forgot about all of that. He dismissed it because he was the most comfortable he’d ever been, just rocking back and forth in Rei’s arms.

 

People were definitely staring. People would at _least_ do a double-take at the sight, but Nagisa didn’t care, not even if the person looking was Rei’s asshole uncle. _Let them look,_ he decided as he leaned his head against Rei’s chest. He felt silly at his own corny resolve, but it still helped. He closed his eyes and drowned out everything else except the song, which was on its last chorus.

 

_Maybe we found love right where we are._

“Nagisa? Nagisa, the song’s over. It’s time to go home,” Rei said, gently prying the blond off of him.

 

He hadn’t even notice when the song ended, but now the lights were on, no one was dancing, and people were going back to their tables to get their coats and purses. It was all over. He let go of Rei sadly, his hands lingering on his arms.

 

“I liked dancing with you,” he said, almost bashfully.

 

Rei smiled. “I’m glad you enjoyed it despite my two left feet.”

 

“Rei-chan, no! You were graceful!”

 

He just shook his head and kept smiling. “I enjoyed dancing with you too, Nagisa.”

 

Nagisa grinned, feeling a sudden surge of confidence sprung mostly from the adrenaline he’s built up from a night of dancing. He tugged Rei’s arm towards him, closing the distance between them. Trying his best to be gentle, he place a hand on the back of his neck and connected their lips together. Rei didn’t back away, even though there was a crowd of people around them. He wound his arms around Nagisa’s waist and pulled him closer, breathing in his scent.

 

The kiss lasted a moment before they broke away, still holding each other. Both were flushed and breathing heavily despite their kiss being close-mouthed. For a while they simply looked at each other, eyes twinkling with adoration. Finally, Nagisa broke the silence.

 

“So, when’s the next wedding?”

 

“I’ll let you know,” Rei said softly.

 

Both were thinking it, but neither dared to say it out loud. The idea that maybe, just maybe, _they_ would be getting married someday, throwing a huge party like this with their families to celebrate their love. The idea that they finally found their someone, the person they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with.

 

The idea that just maybe, the next wedding would be their own.

**Author's Note:**

> FOR YOU, DIYA!!!  
> okay i know this was like, disgustingly fluffy. having been writing somewhat convincing, im not too familiar with writing hardcore fluff, so this was a learning experience for me. i hope you didnt gag too much. also, as you can tell, i didn't resort to super stereotypical characterization for either nagisa OR rei. this might come off as lazy writing, but really, the way i see it, theyve been dating for two years at this point, so rei isnt gonna be this spastic pretentious shithead to nagisa all the time and nagisa isnt gonna be a coy, flirtatious little shit to rei all the time. i evened them out a bit, so im really sorry if it just comes across as bad writing ahahah :(
> 
> anyways, diya, i know reigisa is a huge part of your life so i REALLY hope i did them justice! and i hope no one was too bugged with me throwing in specific names of songs in there, too, because i just felt a need to set the mood. :) i fucking love the song thinking out loud so i HAD TO INCLUDE IT IM SORRY 
> 
> ALSO: before i dove into this, i did my research. christian weddings and standard western weddings are VERY common in japan. in fact, as of 2014, they are the norm. so i didnt just throw in western tradition to fit the story.....that is very much what a japanese wedding could look like, and that style is becoming very popular over there! so yeah...i just felt like that was important to point out haha
> 
> thanks for reading everyone, youre the bees knees
> 
> tumblr: narutorun


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